During my travels about the old ‘net today, I came across a pithy statement:

If this was Android 8.0.1 wouldn’t have hit customer devices until 2017.

I chuckled a bit when I read that, but then a deeper thought settled into my mind. One of the mitigating factors in delayed Android updates is the vetting process by manufacturers and carriers. With iOS 8.0.1 having such widespread implications on cellular connectivity (read: there wasn’t any), I hate to imagine the conversations between Apple and carrier engineers right now.

I could be wrong in believing the fact that Apple has total control of when and how these updates are released. But it’s always been my impression that that was the case. Regardless, it will be interesting to see what, if anything, changes with the future of iOS releases.

But you shouldn’t hit the install button yet. Soon after the update hit, an abnormally high number of users immediately started reporting that the iOS 8.0.1 update is breaking cellular reception and other features like TouchID. For those affected, “no service” is displayed after the update has been installed, and toggling airplane mode or powering the phone off and on again doesn’t seem to be fixing it.

UPDATE 2: Apple released the following statement through media channels:

We have received reports of an issue with the iOS 8.0.1 update. We are actively investigating these reports and will provide information as quickly as we can. In the meantime we have pulled back the iOS 8.0.1 update.

I was surprised to see articles sprouting up on the Web today regarding the Apple Watch’s release date. While it’s all well and good to levy conjecture and prognosticate upon when we might be seeing Apple’s newest consumer venture, it’s folly to predicate any guesses upon previous product launches.

Tim Cook said himself that they could have shipped Apple Watch sooner, but didn’t feel that it met the quality standards that they have for new products. So, they were inclined to wait. There’s no mystery here. Were there setbacks in development? Almost certainly. Would they have liked to have launched sooner? Likely. But the war cry at Apple is that “there are a thousand no’s for every yes”, and that mantra lends well to the belief that they went into development with their eyes wide open.

The only thing we know for certain is that the Apple Watch is at a late enough stage in development that Apple can confidently say that it’s arrival will be sometime in early 2015.

If you feel pressure like this on your iPhone 6 in your pocket, you need looser pants. And if you put your phone in your back pocket and sit on it, I’m not sure what to tell you.

It’s really getting out of hand. On my drive home, the local news-talk radio station picked up on the story, reporting it as a “big problem” only “days into the release of Apple’s newest iPhone”. My gripe with mainstream media reporting on topics like these is the lack of transparency and the slant toward sensationalism. The average joe won’t be able to discern that these phones are bending only under extreme pressures.

Slowly but surely, Apple seems to be adding new features to its latest iteration of AppleTV that differentiate it from its older, nearly identical model. Until recently, any new additions and updates rolled out without prejudice between the 2nd and 3rd gen AppleTV models.

However, with the release of iOS 8 last week, only owners of the 3rd gen AppleTV saw the refreshed UI and integrated Beats Music app. Additionally, it was learned today that only owners of the refreshed 3rd gen Apple TV (model #A1469) will gain the ability to use peer-to-peer AirPlay, which allows those on iOS 8 and OS X Yosemite to transmit content to an AppleTV without first connecting to the same wireless network.

As time goes on, I can see owners of 2nd gen AppleTV models being enticed to upgrade to newer models if this trend continues. As an owner of an older, well loved 2nd gen, I have long enjoyed the symmetrical update system. May well be time for an upgrade.

Reports are sprouting up all over the Internet today, showing photo after photo of damaged iPhones. Allegedly, these iPhones are bent simply by being kept in the front pockets while their users are sitting for longer periods of time.

According to users at the Macrumors forums, the damage is occurring to both iPhone 6 and 6 Plus models, with the data skewing toward the larger Plus variety.

Having seen this happen before with the iPhone 5/5s, it does not surprise me. Alloys such as aluminum will not retain their shape past tolerances, and folks wear jeans that are much too tight. That combination may prove tricky for some iPhone owners.